Collapsible wheel guard for stationary bicycle

ABSTRACT

A collapsible guard adapted to cover tae rear wheel of a stationery exercise bicycle supported on a bicycle trainer is described. The guard has side walls, an upper wall and a front opening sized to receive the bicycle rear wheel and trainer. In one embodiment of the invention, the guard includes spaced side walls having upper edges, front edges and lower edges; and a flexible upper -all with sine edges, a front edge, and a rear edge, the side walls being releasibly attached along at least part of their lengths to the upper wall side edges, the upper wall curving downwardly from its front edge to its rear edge when the side walls are attached. In this embodiment, the side walls are foldable onto opposite faces of the upper wall. In another embodiment, the guard includes a collapsible frame with curved bands and a cover attachable over the frame.

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 61/517,775. tiled Apr. 25, 2011, which is incorporatedherein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a collapsible guard for the rear wheelof a stationary exercise bicycle and in particular to a collapsiblewheel guard that can be positioned around the rear and sides of the rearwheel of a bicycle supported on a bicycle trainer to prevent childrenfrom injury caused by touching the bicycle wheel while it is turning.

(2) DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

Conventional bicycles are often used as stationary exercise and trainingapparatus by supporting the rear wheel of the bicycle on a bicycletrainer comprised of a support frame and a resistance unit that engagesthe Wheel to apply resistance upon rotation of the wheel, simulating theresistance experienced when normal riding the bicycle. Bicycles arecommonly used with bicycle trainers in an indoor environment, such asthe home, where small children nay be present.

During use, the spinning rear wheel of the bicycle presents a potentialhazard to small children who may wander into the area where the exerciseis taking place. With small children in particular, the spinning heel isan attraction tempting the child to touch the wheel, causing injury tothe child, particularly if the child inserts his or her hand into thewheel spokes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention addresses this potential hazard by providing acollapsible guard that can be placed on either side and behind the rearwheel of a trainer supported bicycle, creating a barrier or shieldbetween the wheel and a child that might contact the wheel. Generally,the guard is comprised of side and upper walls that are connected toeach other, but which are adapted to collapse for compact storage whennot in use.

The guard may be in the shape of a partial dome that extends fromimmediately behind the bicycle seat across from one side of the wheel tothe other, and across the top and rear of the bicycle wheel. Preferably,attachments are provided to releasibly secure the guard to the bicycleadjacent the rear of the bicycle seat and to the exercise trainer.

One embodiment of the present wheel guard is comprised of spaced sidepanels and an intermediate upper panel that curves downwardly toward therear to form the top and rear of the guard. The side panels, which aremirror images, each include an upper edge, a front edge, and a loweredge. The upper edges of the panels curve downwardly from the front tothe rear of the panels. The front edges of the side panels may beconvex, i.e., they may curve forward at their centers, to cover more ofthe bicycle, while the front edge of the upper panel can be concave,i.e., curve rearwardly toward its center, so that the guard can be movedfurther forward without interference by the bicycle seat and seat post.

The upper panel includes side edges, a front edge, and a rear edge. Allpanels are constructed of flexible, resilient, puncture resistantplastic or other sheet material, such as plastic sheet sold under theCoroplast trademark. The edges of the panels may be covered with clothtape or other edging to improve the appearance of the panels and for usein attaching the panels to each other and to zippers as will be hereindescribed.

Specifically the panels may be pivotally attached along rear sections oftheir upper edges by sewing together adjacent edging to the rearsections of upper panel side edges, thereby permanently secure thepanels together while allowing the side panels to fold against opposedfaces of the upper panel. For storage, one of the side panels can befolded against the upper surface of the upper panel, while the otherside panel can be folded against the lower surface of the upper panel.

In order to assembly the panels into a guard for positioning over abicycle rear wheel and trainer, the upper edges of the side panels arereleasibly attached to side edges of the upper panel. As illustrated inthe drawings, the side panels may be attached to the upper panel withzippers. To ensure that the zippers remain zipped during use, the guardmay also include releasable tabs, e.g., hook-and-loop fasteners,adjacent the front edges of the panels and at the joinders of sidepanels to the upper panel.

In another embodiment, the guard is comprised of a frame that extendsover the top, sides and rear of the wheel, and optionally the pedals,and a flexible covering that is supported by the frame. The frame iscomprised of a resilient horizontal member that rests on the floor in aU-shape when the frame is erected, and a plurality of resilient curvedbands hat extend over the top of the bicycle rear wheel, with ends beinghinged to the horizontal member on opposite sides of the bicycle.

When the frame is erected, the horizontal member is flexed to a U-shapedconfiguration that includes generally parallel side section its withrear and front ends positionable at either side of the bicycle, and acurved rear section having ends joined to the rear ends of the sidesections. The front ends of the horizontal member side sections may betelescoping.

The bands include a front band having opposed ends hinged adjacent thefront ends of the horizontal member, a rear band having opposed endshinged intermediate the front ends of the horizontal band and thehorizontal band rear section, and at least one intermediate band havingopposed ends hinged to the horizontal member between the hinges of thefront and rear bands.

In the erected position, the bands extend across the bicycle from oneside of the bicycle to the opposite side, with the front andintermediate bands extending over the bicycle rear wheel, and the rearband extending behind the bicycle wheel.

In order to hold the erected frame in the desired position, the front ofthe frame, e.g., the front band, is attached to the bicycle near therear of the bicycle seal, while the rear of the frame is attached to thebicycle trainer. A flexible connector, e.g., a cord or ribbon, isattached to the centers of the horizontal member and bands to maintainthe horizontal member and bands in their desired orientations when theframe is erected. The horizontal member is held in the U-shapedconfiguration by a cord, preferably a bungee cord that ends between thefront ends of the horizontal member and is sized to hold the sides ofthe horizontal member generally parallel to each other.

When the first connector is detached from the bicycle and the cord isdetached from the end of the horizontal member, the hinged bandscollapse rear zanily to lie adjacent each other and to the horizontalband, forming a compact array for ease in storage. The collapsed framecan be made even more compact by hinging the bands and the horizontalmember at their centers, with the bands and horizontal member beingfolded together after being collapsed. Folding of the bands at theircentral hinges results in a compact package approximately one-half thelength of the unflexed bands.

In order for the bands and horizontal member to lie adjacent each other,the bands are preferably of different lengths due to the distances ofthe band end hinges relative to the horizontal member center section.That is, the front band is longest since the front band hinges are thefarthest from the horizontal member center section, with the rear bandhinges being closest to the horizontal member center section. Thelengths of intermediate bands are intermediate the lengths of the frontand rear bands.

When in the erected position, the frame is covered with a flexiblecovering that extends over the bands, with the lower edge of thecovering being adjacent the horizontal member. The bands and or thehorizontal member can include attachment members, e.g., clips to securethe covering to the frame. The covering can be of various materials,e.g., cloth or plastic, so long as it has sufficient integrity towithstand penetration by a child.

In addition to the embodiments described, it will be understood that theinvention envisions other structures that provide a barrier around thebicycle rear area. For example, an inflatable covering may be used, withthe covering including inflatable sides and rear portions. Theinflatable covering may be easily stored when deflated.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a rear perspective view of one embodiment of the wheel guarderected over the rear of a bicycle.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the wheel guard of FIG. 1 erected over the rearof a bicycle and a trainer.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the guard of FIG. 1 with the panels unzipped.

FIG. 4 is a top view of the guard of FIG. 1 with the side panels foldedagainst opposite faces of the upper panel.

FIG. 5 is a top view of the erected guard of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a rear perspective view of another embodiment of the wheelguard erected over the rear of bicycle.

FIG. 7 is a top view of the wheel guard of FIG. 6 without the cover.

FIG. 8 is a side view of the wheel guard of FIG. 6 without the covererected over the rear of a bicycle.

FIG. 9 is another side view of the wheel guard of FIG. 6 without thecover erected over the rear of the bicycle. and with the from ends ofthe frame extended to cover more of the bicycle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the following description, terms such as horizontal, upright,vertical, above, below, beneath, and the like, arc used solely for thepurpose of clarity in illustrating the invention, and should not betaken as words of limitation. The drawings are for the purpose ofillustrating the invention and are not intended to be to scale.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1-5, one embodiment of the present wheel guard,generally 10, is designed to fit over rear wheel 12 of bicycle 14, whichis supported on bicycle trainer 14. Guard 10 is comprised of spaced sidepanels 20 and 22, and an upper panel 24. Side panel 20 includes an upperedge 26, a front edge 28, and a lower edge 30. Side panel 22 is a mirrorimage of panel 20 and includes an upper edge 32, a front edge 34 and alower edge 36. Upper edges 26 and 32 curve downwardly from the front tothe rear of panels, 20 and 22, respectively.

Upper panel 24 includes side edges 40 and 42, a from edge 44 and a rearedge 46. All panels are constructed of flexible, resilient sheetmaterial, such as plastic sheet, e.g., plastic sheet sold under theCoroplast trademark. Sheets made of other flexible, resilient material,such as pressure treated paper, are also contemplated. The edges of thepanels in the preferred embodiment arc bound with an edging 48. e.g., acloth tape.

Panels 20 and 22 are pivotally attached along rear sections 50 and 52 oftheir upper edges, e.g., by sewing together of adjacent edging 48, tothe rear sections of upper panel side edges 40 and 42, to permanentlysecure the panels together, while allowing panels 20 and 22 to foldagainst panel 24. For storage, one of panels 20 and 22 can be foldedagainst the upper surface of panel 24 while the other panel can befolded against the lower surface of panel 24.

In order to assembly panels 20, 22, and 24 into guard 10 to positionover bicycle rear wheel 12 and trainer 16, upper edge 26 of panel 20 isreleasibly attached to edge 40 of upper panel 24, while upper edge 32 ofpanel 22 is releasibly attached to side edge 42 of upper panel 24. Asshown in the preferred embodiment, panel 20 is attached to panel 24 withzipper 54, while panel 22 is attached to panel 24 with zipper 56.

To ensure that zippers 54 and 56 remain zipped during use, guard 10 alsoincludes releasable tabs 58 and 60 adjacent the front edges of thepanels and at the joinders of panel 20 to panel 24, and panel 22 topanel 24. Tabs 58 and 60, which may be hook-and-loop fasteners, areattached after zippers 54 and 56 are zipped.

As illustrated in FIGS. 6-9, another embodiment of the present wheelguard, generally 110, is designed to fit over the rear of a bicycle,generally 112. Parts of bicycle 112 have been omitted for clarity ofillustration. Guard 110 is comprised of cover 114 supported on a frame,generally 116, which is comprised of a base horizontal member 120, afront band 122, a rear band 124, and at least one intermediate band 126.Horizontal member 120 includes telescoping end sections 128. When frame116 is erected, horizontal member 120 is held in a U-shapedconfiguration using an attachment cord 130, which is preferably a bungeecord, extending between the front ends of horizontal member 120.

Resilient bands 122, 124 and 126, are also held in a U-shapeconfiguration by attachment of their opposed ends to opposite sides ofhorizontal member 120 by hinges 132. A cord or ribbon 134 is attached tothe bands, preferably at their apexes, with the bands being at apredetermined spacing, to hold the bands in their raised positionsrelative to each other.

The front of guard frame 116 is held upright by retainer cord 136 whichattaches the front of frame 116 to a part, e.g., the seat post, ofbicycle 112. The rear of frame is secured relative to rear wheelsupporting bicycle trainer 140, e.g., by pad 142, which is insertedbeneath trainer 140. Cover 114 extends over bands 116 and is attached tohorizontal member 120 with releasable attachment members 144 which maybe, for example, hook and loop fasteners or clips. It is alsocontemplated that the covering may be permanently sewn or otherwiseattached to the frame.

When guard 110 is no longer used, it can be collapsed for storage byremoving cover 114, if releasibly attached, and disconnecting cords 130and 136. Bands 122, 124 and 126 then pivot rearwardly to lie alongsideeach other and horizontal member 120. If more compact storage isdesired, frame bands 122, 124 and 126 and horizontal member 120 can behinged with hinges 146 at their apexes so that the bands and horizontalmember can be folded to about one-half of their length.

Certain modifications and improvements will occur to those skilled inthe art upon a reading of the foregoing description. It should beunderstood that all such modifications and improvements have beendeleted herein for the sake of conciseness and readability but areproperly within the scope of the following claims.

1. A collapsible guard adapted to cover the rear wheel of a stationeryexercise bicycle comprising side walls, a top wall, an upper wall and afrom opening sized to receive the rear wheel of a bicycle supported on abicycle trainer.
 2. The guard of claim 1, wherein said upper wall curvesdownwardly toward the rear of the guard and said side walls are at leastpartially separable from said upper wall.
 3. The guard of claim 1,wherein said side walls are at least partially secured to said upperwall with zippers.
 4. The guard of claim 1, wherein said side and upperwalls form a dome shaped enclosure.
 5. The guard of claim 1, whereinsaid walls are constructed of flexible, puncture resistant material. 6.The guard of claim 1, further including a collapsible frame supportingsaid walls.
 7. A collapsible guard adapted to cover the rear wheel of astationery exercise bicycle comprising: a) spaced side walls havingupper edges, front edges and lower edges: b) a flexible upper wall withside edges, a front edge, and a rear edge, said side walls beingreleasibly attached along at least part of their lengths to said upperwall side edges, said upper wall curving downwardly from its from edgeto its rear edge when said side walls are attached.
 8. The guard ofclaim 7, wherein said upper wall is resilient.
 9. The guard of claim 7,wherein said side walls are mirror images.
 10. The guard of claim 7,wherein said upper wall front and rear edges are parallel.
 11. The guardof claim 7, wherein said side walls are permanently attached along apart of their upper edges adjacent the lower edge of said upper wallrear edge, and releasable attached to said upper wall along another partof their upper edges.
 12. The guard of claim 7, wherein said side wallupper edges are releasibly attached to said upper wall side edges withzippers.
 13. The guard of claim 7, further including releasable tabsattaching the said side walls to said upper wall adjacent the frontedges of said side and upper walls.
 14. The guard of claim 7, whereinsaid walls are constructed of flexible, resilient, impact resistantplastic.
 15. The guard of claim 7, wherein said walls have outersurfaces covered with fabric.
 16. A collapsible guard sized to receivethe rear wheel of a bicycle that is supported on a bicycle trainer, saidguard comprising: a) a collapsible frame having an erected position anda collapsed position, said frame having a partial dome shape with afront opening to receive the rear of a bicycle when in the erectedposition; and b) a flexible covering extending over said frame.
 17. Theguard of claim 16, wherein said frame is comprised of a horizontal basemember having an unerected position and a curved erected position, aplurality of bands having curved, raised configurations when said basemember is in the erected position, said band having outer end pivotallyattached to said base member, an attachment member extending between theends of said horizontal base member to secure said base member in iterected configuration, and a connection member attached to said bands tohold said bands in their raised positions.
 18. The guard of claim 16,further including a bicycle connector to releasibly secure said guard tosaid bicycle.
 19. The guard of claim 16, further including a trainerconnector to releasibly secure said guard to said trainer.
 20. The guardof claim 16, wherein said base member has telescoping ends.